Brussels opens Google inquiry
Feb 26, 2010
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Is Google stifling competition? The European Commission has launched an investigation into its dominance of the search and search advertising markets in Europe. The inquiry is a response to complaints from three firms, one of which is part of Microsoft's search engine, Bing. The firms say that Google relegates them to an unfairly low spot in its search results and that the conditions attached to deals with advertisers are unjust.
What the commentators said
"It was unavoidable," said Bobby Johnson on Guardian.co.uk. When a company becomes this large, it's only a matter of time before the European Commission launches an antitrust investigation. Google, after all, handles 80% of European web searches.
In the ongoing tussle between Google and Microsoft, "the boot might just be moving on to the other foot", said Kamal Ahmed in The Daily Telegraph. Microsoft has just escaped the EU's clutches after being investigated for over a decade. "Once the process starts, it can be difficult to stop", as complaints pile up. So it's crucial for Google to learn from Microsoft's experience and "avoid any hint of obfuscation", said Damian Reece, also in The Daily Telegraph. Given the "huge" potential ramifications of the probe – countless firms now rely on web searches – Brussels "must act with speed and clarity".
GOOG: $536; 12m change 62%
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